The present invention is directed to a semiconductor device and, more particularly to a semiconductor device with a heat spreader.
In current packaged semiconductor devices, thermal dissipation paths for heat generated by the encapsulated semiconductor die are limited. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional semiconductor device 100, which includes a package body 12 having a top surface 12a, an opposing bottom surface 12b and side surfaces 12c, and is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) 14. A semiconductor die 16 has a top, active main surface 16a and an opposing bottom surface 16b, and is embedded within the package body 12. Leads 18 extend from the side surfaces 12c of the package body 12. The die 16 is coupled to the leads 18 with wires 20. The leads 18 allow the device 100 to be connected to the PCB 14. Heat generated by the die 16 is conducted through the package body 12 to the top surface 12a of the package body 12, where it is then dissipated to the environment (shown by the upward arrows). In addition, heat may also be conducted, for example via an exposed flag or pad 22, upon which the die 16 is attached, to the PCB 14. The heat is then conducted through the PCB 14 and thereafter is dissipated to the environment (shown by the downward arrows).
Such heat conduction and dissipation paths may not be sufficient to adequately cool the semiconductor die, which can lead to overheating and damage to the semiconductor device, especially if the device is a high power device. At the same time, smaller sizes and profiles for semiconductor packages, such as Quad Flat Packages (QFP) and Small Outline Integrated Circuits (SOIC), are constantly being sought as electronic devices incorporating such semiconductor packages continue to shrink, thereby shrinking the available area for heat dissipation.
A common solution has been to add a separate heat sink to the top surface of the semiconductor device to improve its thermal performance. This requires additional materials and attachment steps, can increase the production time and cost, and can also result in the size of the finished package being larger than desired.
It is therefore desirable to provide a semiconductor device that allows for improved cooling of the semiconductor die, but that does not greatly increase the size of the finished device.